“I was instantly hooked and went down the restoration route,” Mr Akuhata-Brown said.
“As with many passionate people, the intricacies of business can prove challenging, especially when your passion becomes your income.
“We are truly grateful to our community for the ongoing support.
“I have had many repeat customers and the ‘word of mouth’ effect has helped keep our whānau provided for and we are most grateful.
“I have also restored for customers around the country and several overseas clients too. But my bread and butter is here.
“Thanks to Gizzy Collective we are able to showcase our restored furniture alongside other local artisans,” Mr Akuhata-Brown said.
“Frame and Fortune is everything we are about — a place where artists and community unite.”
Gisborne Ceramic Artist David Cameron has presented a collection of modern hue pieces at the pop-up.
He is a member of Ngā Kaihanga Uku (a collective of Māori ceramic artists) and a former student of Toihoukura.
“Taku whakapapa kei te Waipounamu; Scottish ancestry, Kāti Māmoe, Ngāi Tahu no Turanga; Te Whānau a Kai, Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki.
“The wood-fired pieces are from a recent wānanga at Waima, Tokomaru,” Mr Cameron said.
“Kōwhaiwhai design is used to enhance shape and form. With a whakapapa inherent in the kōwhaiwhai design, the hue pots are both bold in design, form, hue and texture.”
Phoebe Gander is a still-life and landscape artist living in Wainui.
Her work explores the effects of light and shadow, and the themes of nostalgia, vulnerability and the passing of time.
“The evocative effects of early morning and end of daylight are a thread that runs throughout my art.”
Ms Gander trained in textile design in the UK before emigrating to New Zealand in 2005.
She now works in acrylic and oil to create her artwork from either her home or town studio.
“My aim is to express my experience of finding beauty in the mundane and everyday moments, and in turn provoke a response in the viewer.”
Nick Tupara was born and raised on the East Coast and has whakapapa links across Tairāwhiti.
He is committed to supporting art and artists throughout the region and sharing art with the community.
He owns and runs TŪPARA Gallery, where Mr Tupara creates his own work as a painter, working mainly with acrylics on canvas.
At present he is exploring the connection between maramataka and māramatanga. He has a number of large public sculptures including Hine Tapuarau just north of Matawai, Te Mārō on the western slope of Titirangi and Puhi Kai Iti at the end of Rakaiatane Road. Alongside this, Mr Tupara is a Tā Moko artist.
“I decided to join the Gizzy Collective to further extend my creative networks with like-minded artists and artisans looking to bring and grow creativity among the community.
“Frame and Fortune is my first collaboration with the group and I hope the community will visit and enjoy.”
Ian Lawson creates carved wooden pieces from his home in Gisborne, drawing on time spent in arboriculture, woodworking, art and traditional woodland skills.
Sourcing materials from fallen trees or repurposing wood through his work in Auckland, Gisborne, and through a unique relationship with The National Arboretum of New Zealand at Eastwoodhill, Mr Laswon’s focus is on honouring the trees with items made to last for generations before returning to the earth as nature intended.
“The Lawson Tree, which is on display at Frame and Fortune, represents my family tree, the knowledge and inspiration handed down, and the cumulative skills. That tree is ever-growing.”
Troy Conole is a digital illustrator who focuses heavily on local beaches, surf breaks and iconic beaches up the Coast.
Born and raised in Wainui, Mr Conole takes inspiration from the ocean, surfing more than he should and finding different lighting to make up new colour palettes for the next illustration.
Mr Conole’s limited-edition canvas prints are individually numbered and mounted on pine frames, ready to hang.
